New Kilt/Dilemma - Part 2

[Father Bill]

Well, never underestimate the power and emotional power of a symbol - graphic or living.

A flag? A tartan? The Kilt? A swastika? A cross? A smiley face? Joseph Stalin? Nelson Mandela? The Pope?

These are all symbols, and you'll note how much emotion, positive AND/OR negative each may engender in various people. Rightly or wrongly, people are indeed willing to die for a symbol, largely because of what it means to them and the meaning that is behind it.

In our mutual interest, just think how many XMarkers have striven mightily to find the connections and meanings behind a tartan or a clan, some of us without ever meeting a member of the clan either. People connect to things quickly and viscerally.

Symbols are powerful... and dangerous too. Handle with care!

[creagdhubh]

Well, never underestimate the power and emotional power of a symbol - graphic or living.

A flag? A tartan? The Kilt? A swastika? A cross? A smiley face? Joseph Stalin? Nelson Mandela? The Pope?

These are all symbols, and you'll note how much emotion, positive AND/OR negative each may engender in various people. Rightly or wrongly, people are indeed willing to die for a symbol, largely because of what it means to them and the meaning that is behind it.

In our mutual interest, just think how many XMarkers have striven mightily to find the connections and meanings behind a tartan or a clan, some of us without ever meeting a member of the clan either. People connect to things quickly and viscerally.

Symbols are powerful... and dangerous too. Handle with care!

Well said, Father Bill.

[adempsey10]

Well, never underestimate the power and emotional power of a symbol - graphic or living.

A flag? A tartan? The Kilt? A swastika? A cross? A smiley face? Joseph Stalin? Nelson Mandela? The Pope?

These are all symbols, and you'll note how much emotion, positive AND/OR negative each may engender in various people. Rightly or wrongly, people are indeed willing to die for a symbol, largely because of what it means to them and the meaning that is behind it.

In our mutual interest, just think how many XMarkers have striven mightily to find the connections and meanings behind a tartan or a clan, some of us without ever meeting a member of the clan either. People connect to things quickly and viscerally.

Symbols are powerful... and dangerous too. Handle with care!

Agreed, a tartan can certainly be a very meaningful symbol for someone. But we must always remember, that to someone else, it may mean nothing. It is only when we fallaciously attempt to force the meaning on other people, do we get into trouble.

[adempsey10]

I suppose its just as irrational that uncountable millions have died over the ages due to their respective national flags and causes? After all a flag is made up of colours and lines on fabric. Some tartans, Cameron, Seaforth, Gordon, Black Watch, to name four, are no different to a flag to some people, so whilst your opinion is yours , others may well disagree with you and disagree quite strongly.

I think you may have missed the point of what I was trying to say. Allow me to attempt to make it clearer with an analogy:

The cow is sacred to those of the Hindu religion. To me, however, the cow isn't sacred, so I eat it. Would anyone accuse me of disrespecting their beliefs? Maybe. But is it wrong for me to eat beef because they think it's sacred? To them, maybe. To me, no. Who is right and who is wrong here? The answer: both and neither. Something is only meaningful for the person to whom it has meaning for. To attempt to force that meaning on everyone else, by say, telling someone they cant wear a certain tartan, is to assume that the tartan has some universal importance to all humans. It doesn't. Just because someone might be offended by him wearing that tartan, doesn't mean it is, in itself, offensive.

EDIT: I dont know much about that religion, so I could be misinterpreting their actual belief, but for the purpose of this analogy, that doesn't really matter. Let's just assume that it is the case. The logic still stands whether the premise is true or not.